Gas-engine.



No. 781,751. PATENTED FEB. 7, 1905.

' E. J. STODDARD.

GAS ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED DBO. 10, 1900. RENEWED JULY 8, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

WITNESSES. IN VEJV'TOR.

a v 55,, @M 247M PATENTED FEB. 7, 1905.

E. J. STODDARD.

GAS ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED DBO.10, 1900. RENEWED JULY 8, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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TVITAESSES.

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No. 781,751. Patented February '7, 1905.

UNTTED STATES PATENT Trice.

ELLIOTT J. STODDARD, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, .'-\SSI(,iN(.)lt TO TIIE FREE- PlSTON GAS ENGINE COMPANY, OF DE'lROllY, MICHIGAN.

GAS-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 781,751, dated February 7, 1905,

Application filed December 10,1900. Renewed July 8, 1904:. Serial No. 215,728.

To if U a passage or passages m 11/. The tank L is 5 Beitknown that l, EnLro'r'r J. S'ronnann, a made so large that the pressure therein will citizen of the United States, residing at Denot increase very much on the outstroke of troit, county of \Vaync, State of Michigan, the piston.

have invented a certain new and useful Im- M is a tank for compressed explosive mixprovement in (ins-Engines; and ,l, declare the turc. following to be a full, clear, and exact descripb is a pump adapted to supply compressed tion of the invention, such as willenable others explosive mixture to the tank M. skilled in the art to which it pertains to make u is a pipe connecting the tank M with the IQ and use the same, reference being had to the cylinder U behind the piston ll.

accompanyingdrawings, which form a part of lis the inlet-valve,andp theexhaustvalves, this specification. which may be operated by eccentrics from the My invention relates to gas-engines; and it engintrsha ft. consists in the improvements hereinafter del have shown the tank L connected with 5 scribed. the tank M by a pipe 1/, it being understood Referring to the accompanying drawings, that there is a non-return valve in said pipe, Figure l is a side elevation of a gas-engine and this valve would be so adjusted as to keep embodying my invention, and Fig. 2 is a plan the pressure in the tank L a little below that thereof, the cylinder and valve cases being in the tank l\l."'$il live pounds. This ar- 20 shown in section. rangement is here adopted for convenience of The same letter indicates'the same part in illustration. Other arrangements for adjustboth views. ing the pressures may be sul )stituted.

A is the bed-plate; C, the cylinder; l), the The operation of the above-described device crank-shaft; E E, the fly-wheel; F. the conis as follows: The fly-wheel is turning in the 5 necting-rod; (7%, the cross-head; H, the piston, direction of the arrow. \Vhen in the position and l the piston-rod. The piston-rod passes shown in Fig. 1, the linger 1i contacts the lethrough a stufling-box in the crank end of vcr-arm J, rocking the shaft and raising the the cylinder and through an aperture in the clutch from the piston-rod I. As the flycross-head. wheel E continues its motion the clutch is 3 I3 is a clutch upon the cross-head, adapted held out of engagement and the cross-head to engage the piston-rod l to prevent an in drawn forward until the latter has reached dependent movement of said piston-rod relathe forward end of the stroke, when the fintive to the cross-head in a direction toward l ger K is again turned out of engagement with the left of the ligu res, but to permit a relative the levcrarm J, allowing the clutch to again 35 movementin the other direction. The clutch engage with the piston-rod. l\leanwhile a B is secured to a rock-shaft l), which rests in charge of compressed explosive mixture has bearings on the cross-head. On an outer end been admitted behind the piston, and justafter of the rock-shaft b is secured a lever-arm J. the clutch B has reengagcd the piston-rod the j is a spring acting to press the clutch B charge is lired, driving the piston ll rapidly 4 against the rod I. The connecting-rod F is j forward against the pressure in the tank L. pivoted atf to the cross-head G. As soon as the piston II, has reached the for- 9 i K is a linger extending from the connectward end of its stroke and begins to return ing-rod F near the pivot-point f' and adapted it engages the clutch B and the power of the at a certain angular position of the connectexplosion stored in the motion of the piston 45 ing-rod to contact the lever-arm L and lift the against the pressure in the tank L is given clutch B out of contact with the piston-rod. out and communicated to the shaft and fly- L (shown in dotted lines, Fig. 1) is a tank wheel Eduringthereturnstrokeofthe engine. for compressed air, which communicates with The tank M has been made small, so that the cylinder C in front of the piston through the withdrawal of one charge therefrom into the cylinder C will lower the pressure in said tank to about that in the tank L, so that the piston H will come to rest with the proper amount of explosive mixture behind it. Other methods for accomplishing this purpose will readily occur to those conversant with the art.

The electric ignition may be actuated from any of the moving parts of the engine in the usual ways.

It will be observed that the parts actuated by the explosion move very quickly, allowing but a very brief time for the heat to radiate to the cylinder, that the expansion will be to a pressure considerably below atmosphere, thus reducing the loss of heat in the exhaustgases, that the quickly-moving parts are rigidly connected together, so as to avoid joints and lost motion, and that the valves may be actuated directly by eccentric-rods operated by the crank-shaft.

WVhat I claim is 1. In a gas-engine, the combination of a cross-head, a connecting-rod pivoted to said cross-head and to the engine-crank, a pistonrod arranged to slide through said cross-head, a clutch upon said cross-head adapted to prevent a motion of said piston-rod in one direction relative to said cross-head but to permit such motion in the other direction, and means for lifting said clutch out of engagement with said piston-rod during the motion of said crosshead in one direction, substantially as described.

2. In a gas-engine, the combination of a cross-head, a connecting-rod pivoted to said cross-head and to the engine-crank, a pistonrod arranged to slide through said cross-head, a clutch upon said cross-head adapted to prevent a motion of said piston-rod in one direction relative to said cross-head, but to permit such motion in the other direction, a portion of said connecting-rod being adapted to contact and disengage said clutch when said connecting-rod is upon one side of its central position, substantially as and for the purpose described.

8. In a free-flying piston-engine, a piston adapted to move in one direction under the influence of the explosion, means for retracting the piston, a rotating part adapted to be actuated by the piston on its return motion, and means whereby the rotation of said rotating part acts to connect the same with the piston on its return stroke and to disconnect said rotating part from the piston on the forward movement of the same.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification in the presence of two Witnesses.

ELLIOTT J. STODDARD.

Witnesses:

J OI-IN N. GooDRIoH, MAY E. Ko'rT. 

